Kumarembia Engel & Grimaldi

Engel, Michael S., Grimaldi, David A., Singh, Hukam & Nascimbene, Paul C., 2011, Webspinners in Early Eocene amber from western India (Insecta, Embiodea), ZooKeys 148, pp. 197-208 : 199-200

Kumarembia Engel & Grimaldi gen. n.

Type species.

Kumarembia hurleyi Engel and Grimaldi, sp. n.

Diagnosis.

Male: Head relatively slender, longer than wide, elongate oval (Fig. 3a), slightly narrowed posteriad; compound eyes well developed, prominent, emarginate at base of antenna, and less so on posterodorsal margin, setose, with stiff setae, some longer than diameter of facets, and most setae on outermost distal surface (Fig. 3b); ocelli absent; antennae long, with 17 articles (incomplete in holotype, number of articles based on paratype), articles apparently uniformly sclerotized and pigmented (apical articles not differently pigmented or unpigmented); lacinia entirely sclerotized, with two small apical teeth (Fig. 3b), remainder of maxilla generalized; mentum sclerotized, small, approximately one-third length of labium, without setae, tightly joined to submentum; submentum sclerotic, with four stiff, very fine setae, anterior margin straight (appearing to have medial hump owing to mentum), lateral margins relatively straight and converging posteriorly toward base, margins meet before ventral margin of head capsule (Fig. 3b); ventral surface of head capsule, lateral to prementum, with eight (four pairs) fine, stiff, erect setae, head capsule otherwise with numerous decumbent setae, especially dorsally. Cervical area extensively membranous, especially ventrally. Pronotum longer than wide, well sclerotized and apparently pigmented, anterior margin straight, with prominent anterolateral corners, faintly constricted just posterior to anterior margin, posterior margin constricted, with rounded posterolateral corners, dorsally depressed just posterior to anterior margin (resulting in the anterior margin appearing somewhat lip-like), with thin, longitudinal, membranous “fracture” at midline (Fig. 3a). Wings large, mildly infumate; R reaching wing margin, straight apically (not procurved to terminate anteriorly); no c-r crossveins evident; Rs simple, terminating at wing apex (Fig. 4c), several r-rs crossveins present; single rs-ma1 crossvein present shortly after origin of MA1; MA apically forked, MA1 and MA2 both reaching wing margin, without crossveins between them (Fig. 4c); MP simple, reaching to apical wing margin; CuA apparently joining MP apically. Protibia greatest width 0.33 × length, silk-producing surface slightly concave (Fig. 4a); distal end with two minute, sclerotized, slightly-curved, spine-like setae on mesal surface (Fig. 4a); metafemur swollen; metabasitarus (= metatarsomere I) elongate, without plantunlae (as in Pararhagadochir); metatarsomere II exceptionally short, without plantula; metadistitarsus (= metatarsomere III) elongate, nearly as long as combined lengths of metabasitarsus and metatarsomere II; pretarsal claws simple; arolium absent (Fig. 4a, 4b). Male terminalia asymmetrical; dorsally with left hemitergite (10L) relatively broad; right hemitergite (10R) relatively narrow, tapering posteriorly; hemitergites separated by membranous area, connected proximally by a thin sclerotic band (Fig. 4e); left tergal process (LP) sclerotized, short, curved, with forked apex, internal (caudad) hook longer than external (proximad) hook, both with tapered and pointed apices (Fig. 4e); right tergal caudal process (RP1) long, extending to LC1, apex with minute hook caudally and gentle lobe proximally; right tergal anterior process (RP2) present, short, thumb-like; ventrally with hypandrium (H) relatively large, broad, with rectangular hypandrial process (HP) positioned medially (Fig. 4d); cercomeres well sclerotized and uniformly covered by stiff, elongate setae in loose whorls (Fig. 4d); apical cercomeres (LC2 and RC2) slightly longer than basal cercomeres (similar to Archembia ); left basal cercomere (LC1) medially expanded and lobed (Fig. 4d), left cercal basipodite comprising a sclerotic flange fused to outer rim of LC1 and without evidence of inner lobe or ring; right basal cercomere (RC1) well sclerotized throughout, cylindrical (Fig. 4d, 4e).

Female: Unknown.

Etymology.

The new generic name is a combination of Kumar (honoring Dr. Kumar Krishna, faithful colleague and dear friend, as well as the world’s leading authority on the systematics of Isoptera ), and Embia , type genus of and frequent stem for embiodeans. The name is feminine.